Adjustable oscillating fan.



C. R. MESTON & H. l. FINCH. ADJUSTABLE OSQILLATING FAN. APPLICATION man 1AN.2.1914.

' 1,259,545, Patented Mar.19,1918.

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c. R. M'EsToN @L H. l. nNc'H. ADJUSTABLE OSCILLATING FAN. APPLICATION FILED IAILZ. 1914- gs Patented Mar. 19, 1918.

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-. a, ES R. MESTON AND HERBERT IIFINCH, 0F ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGINORS 'ru 0N ELEGTBIC'MANUFACTUBING COMPY, 0F ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A.

JUSTLE OSCILLATING F.

Speolcation of Letters Patent.

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To all whom z't may concern.'

Be it known that we, @Hannes R. MEsToN and HERBERT l. FINCH, citizens of the United States, residing at city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented acertam new and useful Improvement in Adjustable Oscillating Fans, of which the followmg 1s a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, 1n whic Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of our improved fan oscillating mechanism taken on line 1-,1 of Fig. 2. y

Fig. 2 is a side sectional elevation of our improved fan oscillating mechanism taken on ine 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of a portion of our improved fan oscillating mechanism,

the same eingtaken -on line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating the various quadrants within which the fan may be adjusted to oscillate by certain adjustments of the mechanism.

Fig; 5 is a diagram illustrating the various arcs indicative of the Various degrees of oscillation for which the fan may be set by certain adjustments of the oscillating mechanism.

Uur invention relates to oscillating mechanisms designed particularly for electric fans,- and has for one of its objects the pro-- vision of a mechanism whereby the dlrection of the fans oscillatory movement may be varied, and as another object, the provision of a mechanism whereby the degree vof oscillation ofthe fan may be varied.

A further object of our invention is to provide a form of automatically operable adjusting mechanism which shall operate as a safety device by automatically limiting the ldegree of oscillation of the fan when its movement is impeded by an object interposed in its path.

A further object of our invention is to provide avery simple, str ong and easily adjusted operating mechanism, comprised of very few parts and adapted to be economicall manufactured.

urther objects of our inventlon w1ll be hereinafter pointed out or will become obvious upon an understanding of the construction and operation of the device.

By reference to the drawings, it will be understood thatv our invention contemplates a suitable base, standard or bracket 1, which acts as a support for the fan motor casing which is represented at 2. The motor casing 2 may be mounted upon the support 1 by means of an adjustable mounting 4 relative to which the motor casing is adapted to rotate by `virtue of the rotary mounting 5.

Upon the motor casing 2 is carried a gear casing 6 which forms a bearing for the proj ecting end 7 of the armature shaft carrying a worm 8. Journaled in the casing 6 is a worm wheel shaft 9 which carries a worm wheel 10 meshing with the worm 8, and a reducing pinion 11. The casing 6 has a depending sleeve 12 in which is journaled a stub shaft 14. Shaft 14 is supplied with a pinion 15 which meshes with pinion 11. Worm 8, wheel 10, and pinions 11 and 15 constitute transmission and reducing mechanism whereby motion is transmitted from armature shaft 7 to stub shaft 14 at aV greatly reduced speed.

B reference to Fig. 2, it will be seen that* sha t 14 is su ported to the rear of the pivotal axis of t e fan, represented bythe rotary mounting 5. To the lower end of shaft 14 is pinned a drum 16, which is made in two parts secured together by screws 17 (see Fig. 3). The upper part of the drum has an upstanding annular ange 18 which `forms a receptacle to catch superfluous lubricant. The upper and lower portions of the drum form bearings for an eccentrically disposed pivot vseat 19, and they are also provided with a seat for a detent consisting of the ball 20 and spring 21. The pivot seat 19 is adapted to be rotated in its bearings by means of a lever 22 which projects through a slot 24 between the upper and lower sections of the drum 16. In the periphery of the pivot seat 19 are provided seats 25 with which the ball 20 coperates under the inluence of spring 21 to detain the pivot seat 19 in a selected position. By the exertion of suliicient pressure on lever 22 however, it is obvious that the seats 25 can be forced past the ball 20, so that the pivot seat 19 may be ad'usted.

n a pin 26, which is located eccentrically vivot pin 28 to the mounting 4 in a of pivot seat 19, is ivoted one end of alink 27. The location o pin 26 is such that when the pivot seat 19 is adjusted so that the seat 25 Vat one end of the series is'y in engagement with the ydetent ball 20, said'pin 26 will be concentric of drum 16 and in axial alinement with shaft 14. 'Ahe rotation of pivot seat 19 so as to engage the successive seats 25, throws pin 26 fartherand farther off center relative to the pivotal axis of drum 16 until, when the last seat 25 of the series is in engagement with the ball 20, the p1n 26 is very close to the circumferential marginl of drum 16. It is obvious that an increase in the eccentric location of pin 26 relative to shaft llt-increases the throw of pin 26 and link 27 when drum 16 is rotated. The other end of link 27 is secureltlll by a anner ereafter to be described. j

By virtue of the mechanism thus far described, it will be obvious that as shaft 14 is rotated by rotation ot' amature shaft 7, it will rotate drum 16 to which link 27 is pivoted by pin 26 and pivot mounting 19. So long as pin 26 is concentric with shaft 14, it is obvious that the rotation of drum 16 will give no throw to said pin. Hence no movement will be given to link 27 and hence the fan will remain stationary in its mounting 4. However when, by rotary adjustment of pivot seat 19, pin 26 is moved to a position eccentric of shaft 14, it is obvious that rotation of drum 16 will move said pin about in a circle. This movement will deliver thrusts and pulls to link 27, and as link lthat the degree of oscillation of the fan will be increased by increasing the eccentricity of pin 26 relative to shaft 14 in the manner above described.

The cooperation' of the detents with the seats 25 does not form a positive lock for pivot seat 19, but permits the rotation of pivot seat 19 when sufficient pressure is applied. Consequently, if, during the oscillation of the fan an object is interposed in its path so as to intercept the movement ofthe fan guard or the motor casing, instead of causing injury to the fan or the oscillating mechanism, the impedance to the fans movement will simply cause the thrust on link 27 to reversely rotate pivot seat 19 and decrease the e.,.centric throw of pin 26. This will decrease the extent of oscillation of the fan so that it will not strike the obstruction.

In the form shown, the pivot seat 19 is provided with six of the seats 25. One of these is for the stationary position of the fan, and the other live represent five diiferdetermined quadrant within which the fan Y may be adjusted to oscillate. These various quadrants are illustrated in the diagram, Fig. 4. It will be understood that these quadrants represent the maximum oscillation of the fan in any one of the five predetermined dii'erent positions to which 1t may be adjusted, and it will be understood that the degree of oscillation within an one of these quadrants may be limited by t e mechanism and in the manner which has been described above.

The ivot 28, forming the attachment for one end of link 27, is set in an adjustable collar 29 which is mounted upon the mounting 4 and capable of being rotated thereon.

The collar 29 has a sleeve 30 which forms a seat for a lockingrpin 31, said locking pin bein impelled inwardly by a spring 35. The lnner end of the locking pin 31 is adapted to coperate with seats 34 formed in the mounting 4 and when said pin is engaged inone of said seats 34, the collar 29 is held against rotation. The position of collar 29 may be changed by vwithdrawing locking pin 31 against the influence of spring l35 and'then simply turning collar 29, using pin- 31 or sleeve 30 as a lever. By virtue -of the connection afforded by link 27 whenever collar 29 is turned on mounting 4, the fan will be .correspondingly turned on its pivotal mounting. Therefore, when collar 29 is turned to the left, the front of the fan will be turned to the rlght, and vice versa. Inasmuch as the maximum arc of oscillation of the fan is it is obvious that by virtue of this adjustment, the fan may be positioned on its mounting so that this 90 arc of oscillation wil'l lie in any one of the several different directions. When locking pin 31 is engaged in the middle one of seats 34, the maximum arc of the fans oscillation will be in the direction illustrated by the quadrant C. When the collar 29 is adjusted so that the pivot pin is in the lowermost of the seats illustrated in Fig. 3, the quadrant of the fans maximum oscillation will be that illustrated by quadrant A. Likewise, when the collar is adjusted so that the pivot pin is enga ed in the uppermost of seats 34 illustrate in Fig. 3, the quadrant of the fans maximum oscillation will be that illustrated bythe quadrant E, in Fig. 4. The intermeto the fan or to an object when a wall bracket. In the third place,

vides a very simple,

diate seats will adjust the fans direction of' oscillation to the quadrants B and D respectively. In this diagram, the radial lines represent the ansv center-line.

These various features of adjustability have several advanta es which will be readily recognized. In t e first place, they do away with the necessit' of moving the fan. In the second place, they enable the -fans influence to be limited to a selected direction in case the fan is immovably attached, as to the feature of adjustability first described permits the fans influence being limited to a selected area which may be extended or restricted as desired.

In addition to these several utility,

features of it is obvious that the invention prostrong, economical and easily operated mechanism, capable of a wide variety of adjustments, and aii'ording a safety escapement which will prevent in]ury such object is positioned in the path of the fans movement.

Although we'have shown and illustrated herein the preferred form of our invention we are aware that such form is capable o various changes and modifications, and we, therefore, do not desire that our invention be construed as limited to the single form shown.

.provided with peripheral detent seats,

nected eccentrically on said pivot seat and the other end pivotally connected to the supporting member, the said pivot seat bein an spring pressed detent means mounted in said druminember and adapted to coperate with the peripheral seats of the pivot seat to retain the pivot seat in selected positions, said pivot seat being provided with means whereby it may be manually manipulated against the inliuence of said detent means and said `pivot seat being independently operable from said shaft for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof we hereunto afliX our signatures in the resence of two witnesses, this 20th day ofp December, 1913.

CHARLES R. MESTON. HERBERT I. FINCI-I.

Witnesses:

MARTIN P. SMITH, .,S 

